Hibernators may hold the key for better human organ pr...( San Diego CA -- When most of us think ...)

San Diego, CA -- When most of us think of hibernating animals, we think of bears. But a more commonly sighted hibernator, with a more remarkable story, is the 13-lined ground squirrel. These small mammals, often erroneously called "gophers," are actually relatives of chipmunks and ground hogs and are commonly seen around the golf courses, lawns and prairies of the American Midwest. Although a problem for groundskeepers because of their habit of digging holes, soon they could be famous for providing clues to keeping life-saving human transplant organs viable for extended periods of time.

Background

Like bears, hibernating ground squirrels annually undergo a dramatic shift in their physiology. This state, called "torpor," allows hibernators to use minimum amounts of energy to sustain themselves by using stored body fat throughout the winter. The condition is further characterized by, a heartbeat slowed to just a few beats per minute, going long periods without taking a breadth, and reduced blood flow to the regions of the body.

What makes the hibernating ground squirrels unique among all hibernators is that they are able to bring their body temperature to near-zero degrees Celsius, or just a few degrees above their surrounding air temperature. (Their Alaska kin, for example, are able to reduce their body temperature to minus two degrees Celsius.) This stands in stark contrast to the body changes in bears, which drop their body temperature to only a few degrees below their normal body temperature. Among we non-hibernating humans such a precipitous drop would prove fatal.

How is that these animals can go into such extreme states of cold and, more importantly, come out of them without any apparent damage? What, if anything, can we learn from the "cold storage" process of this unique member of the animal kingdom?

The Presentation

Understanding the means by which these fist size animals can withstand such dramatic changes i
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Contact: Donna Krupa
djkrupa1@aol.com
703-967-2751
American Physiological Society
26-Aug-2002

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